At a recent Berkeley Summit House event, Dr. Xuan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Flourish Science, joined Ella Min, California DECA State President and student leader, for a conversation on how AI is reshaping well-being for Gen Z. Together, they explored how a new generation of tools can serve as a mental health app and a habit building app, offering students and professionals accessible support that fits into daily life.

The Last-Mile Problem of Science

Dr. Zhao began by sharing her journey as a social psychologist navigating "the last mile problem of science." Despite decades of research in psychology and behavioral science, proven strategies like gratitude exercises, breathing techniques, giving a compliment, and small daily actions rarely reach people when they need them most. Flourish Science was founded to bridge that gap — delivering evidence-based practices through a joyful, personalized, user-friendly platform.

Why an AI Mental Health App?

The Flourish app was designed to address two urgent challenges: the mental health crisis and the epidemic of loneliness. As a mental health app, Flourish provides personalized, safe, and science-driven support. Unlike general chatbots, Sunnie, Flourish’s AI well-being coach and companion, is trained with clinical oversight and built with safety protocols, including human-in-the-loop review and crisis escalation pathways.

Ella, representing the Gen Z perspective, emphasized the importance of trust: “A mental health app needs to be vetted by specialists. Otherwise, it feels like an echo chamber.” This underscores why Flourish integrates psychologists and counselors directly into its product development process.

A Habit Building App That Works

Beyond crisis support, Flourish also functions as a habit-building app. Small, joyful actions — like noticing three good things, writing a gratitude note, or practicing box breathing before an exam — become rewarding through gamified features. Sunnie encourages users to stay consistent with badges, streaks, and visual progress cues, making healthy routines feel as engaging as social media, but with a positive impact.

Ella suggested interactive features such as Sunnie glowing brighter or a plant growing as users commit to their habits. These ideas highlight how Flourish blends science, AI, and playfulness to sustain engagement.

Building a Body of Scientific Evidence

Most wellness apps lack scientific validation. Flourish is different. Through randomized controlled trials (RCTs) at universities and colleges including Chapman, Foothill College, and the University of Washington, Flourish has demonstrated significant improvements in positive emotions, resilience, mindfulness, and belonging. This makes it the only AI mental wellness app with published evidence of effectiveness.

Looking Ahead

Today, Flourish supports students from more than 200 college campuses. As a public benefit startup, Flourish Science has ambitious goals: to reach 100 million people within 10 years while keeping accessibility at the center. The app offers many free features, sliding-scale pricing, and even scholarships where one user can sponsor another.

As Xuan explained, “Every small step counts. Flourish is designed to make those steps joyful, evidence-based, and accessible for all.”

Watch the Full Conversation

Curious to hear more from Xuan and Ella? Watch the full interview on YouTube!